


The Rise of Skywalker: The Fail of JJ Abrams

by kathyswizards



Category: Skywalker Saga, Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Analysis, Character Analysis, Character Arc, Character Death, Critique, Meta, Other, Story Arc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2019-12-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:14:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22019221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kathyswizards/pseuds/kathyswizards
Summary: An analysis of how The Rise of Skywalker failed to resolve the story and character arcs of the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy and the Skywalker saga.
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 46
Kudos: 82





	The Rise of Skywalker: The Fail of JJ Abrams

**Author's Note:**

> I've read several great metas detailing the many failures of this movie and why it didn't work for many viewers. As both a reader and a writer, I've become deeply committed to the characters and story of the Sequel Trilogy. I'm still disappointed by what the writers and Disney/Lucasfilm gave us as a finale to a story that's captivated at least two generations of Star Wars fans. I'm angry, heartbroken and grieving over what they did to Ben Solo and Rey, but I made an attempt in this analysis to be objective and examine it from a story and character standpoint.

_The following commentary contains spoilers._

The Rise of Skywalker, the final installment of the nine-movie cycle of the Skywalker Saga, began over 40 years ago with Luke, the farmboy who yearns for bigger, better things. Along the way he learns that he’s heir to an unexpected legacy that began with Anakin Skywalker, the Chosen One who was supposed to bring balance to the Force. With this arc in place, you’d expect the final movie to end with the Force in balance and Ben Solo, the last Skywalker, instrumental in bringing about this balance and ensuring its continuance.

You’d be wrong.

As fast-paced entertainment full of exciting special effects and the appearance of familiar old faces, the movie certainly delivers. However, all the flash and bang come at the expense of the story. It’s more like watching a two hour-long video game than a coherent narrative. There is very little plot and no character development. It’s hard to care what happens when it isn’t clear where the film is going and we’re given so little time with each of the characters to understand what motivates them.

In fact, new characters are introduced at the expense of the existing characters who’d previously inhabited those roles. Why do we need General Pryde when General Hux was already a suitably menacing opponent for Kylo Ren and the rest of the galaxy? Just for a twist that ends almost as quickly as it was introduced? Why was it necessary to replace Rose Tico with Jannah as Finn’s companion/possible love interest? Why is Poe suddenly turned into a Han Solo substitute when in canon, he joined the Resistance to follow in his Rebel parents’ footsteps? Inexplicably, the movie sidelines and changes interesting characters we’d already invested in.

Even Rey and Kylo/Ben are given short shrift. Kylo is once more the evil, one-dimensional dark lord we met at the beginning of The Force Awakens. Rey sort of drifts through the film as the Force-User-On-Our-Side until she confronts Palpatine in the final act.

As an ending to the entire Skywalker Saga, the film fails. Instead of tying up the threads of the previous eight movies, it offers fan service in the form of brief appearances by the characters from the Original Trilogy. With the exception of Han Solo’s contribution, none of them do much to advance the plot. Leia’s inclusion via cut-and-paste of unused footage from The Force Awakens is stilted and awkward. Even Luke does little more than raise his old X-wing fighter from the ocean (perfectly preserved and flyable after six to ten years submerged in saltwater).

As the final installment of the Sequel Trilogy, it fails. It almost completely erases the events and characters of The Last Jedi and in some cases, even from The Force Awakens, leaving us adrift and confused. How is the legacy Skywalker lightsaber whole and undamaged? Where is the rapport Rey and Kylo had developed? She snarls and slashes at him like he’s the mortal enemy he was at the end of The Force Awakens. How does the Resistance go from being abandoned by a fearful galaxy to being joined by a fleet of hundreds if not thousands of ships?

As its own story, The Rise of Skywalker also fails. The story goal isn’t apparent until more than halfway through the film. The film is full of contradictions, the most obvious of which is Palpatine’s intent. He begins by telling Kylo to find and kill Rey (as Snoke, who was supposedly his avatar, did before him) and ends with Palpatine intending Rey to kill _him_ so he can possess her. Does he want Rey dead or alive? Which is it?

Speaking of Palpatine, the big reveal of Rey’s decent smacks of more fan service, bizarre and unnecessary. Not only does it undermine the entire theme of the Sequel Trilogy, that anyone can be Force-sensitive, it also creates huge problems for both plot and character. How could Luke and Leia possibly have known of her heritage? In The Last Jedi, Luke actually says to Rey, "Who are you?" Further, if they did, why would they agree to teach the descendant of the most notorious and reviled dark side user in generations after turning their backs on their own son and nephew? In addition, Luke most emphatically did _not_ teach Rey anything in The Last Jedi other than the Jedi needed to end. The reveal doesn’t even work in the context of the story. Introduced at the beginning of the film, it neither functions as a surprise, nor does much to propel the plot forward.

Character is the biggest sacrifice in the name of excitement. Few of the characters are on screen long enough to care about. Many are out of character, especially Rey, who frequently comes across as vicious and cold. Kylo doesn’t bat an eye when he discovers that Palpatine has been the one messing around in his head ever since he was a child. Even after killing Snoke for his years of manipulation and demonstrated abuse, he’s perfectly willing to do Palpatine’s bidding like a well-trained dog. First sidelined during the climactic fight with Palpatine, Ben Solo is reduced to a plot device for Rey's resurrection. What a sad and baffling turn for the most complex, fascinating character in Star Wars.

Furthermore, the arc between Rey and Kylo/Ben is poorly developed. Through over half the movie, they’re fighting. Kylo/Ben clearly wants Rey by his side, but Rey shows nothing but hatred toward him until she suddenly Force-heals him at the end of one of their numerous, pointless fights. When they finally kiss after the climax scene, it’s beautiful, but jarring considering the dynamic between them through most of the film. Strangest of all is Rey’s almost total unconcern with Ben’s death. After he dies, she shows little sadness, and what she does show, the cause is ambiguous.

The Rise of Skywalker abandons the theme of the entire Skywalker saga, which was to bring balance to the Force. The Prequel Trilogy marked the rise and dominance of the dark side of the Force. The Original Trilogy marked the triumph of the light side. Yet the Force remained unbalanced. In the Sequel Trilogy, the dark side rose once more, and with it the First Order. The Last Jedi introduced Rey and Kylo’s Force bond, hinting that an alliance between the avatar of the dark side and that of the light would bring balance. The Rise of Skywalker adds to the idea with Rey and Kylo/Ben being elements of a Force dyad. Yet one half of the dyad is killed off at the end of the movie. By definition, this leaves the Force unbalanced, inexplicably dropping the overarching thread of the entire saga.

Most egregiously, the film fails to provide satisfactory closure. Rey is defined in the first two movies as a young woman yearning for love and connection. We’re introduced to her marking the days of her abandonment as she waits for her family to return for her. She ends the trilogy isolated and alone. Are we supposed to see this as part of her character arc? She no longer needs anyone else? If so, this flies in the face of the normal human need for acceptance and connection—something Rey will never have now. This is shown when Poe sees Rey use her powers while they're together on the star destroyer. He turns to Finn and asks, "Can she do that to us?" No matter where she goes or who she's with, her power will always isolate her. The one person who was her equal, who fully knew and understood her is not only gone, but unmourned and forgotten. The ending we’re given is empty, bleak and nihilistic.

The entire film reeks of a lack of vision, poor planning, last minute changes, trying to check off too many boxes and the influence of too many cooks in the kitchen. It turns its back on what a Star Wars movie should be—not only a thrilling ride, but a message of hope.

In the end, The Rise of Skywalker is a sad, disappointing finale to the two generation-long mythology of Star Wars.


End file.
